U.S. EPA: Hoosick Falls Water Contamination

In 2015, members of the Hoosick Falls community have contacted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with concerns and questions about whether they should drink, bathe in, or cook with their water, which has been found to contain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).

PFOA is a manmade chemical that is toxic and persistent in the environment. It is used as a surface-active agent and in a variety of products, such as fire-fighting foams, coating additives and cleaning products.

On November 25, 2015, the EPA recommended that, based on the presence of PFOA above 400 ppt in the Village of Hoosick Falls public drinking water supply, people not drink the water from the Hoosick Falls public water supply or use it for cooking.

The New York State Department of Health is the lead for addressing PFOA contamination in the water supply. The New York State Department of Healthannounced on March 30, 2016 that “repeated testing of the village of Hoosick Falls’ municipal water system shows non detection of Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and is now safe for all uses including drinking and cooking.”

In February 2016, the EPA collected soil samples from the Hoosick Falls Ballfields and Athletic Field. That sampling found levels of PFOA and related compounds ranging from not detectable to 0.021 parts per million (ppm), as compared with EPA’s action level for PFOA in soil, which is currently 15.6 ppm. These levels will not necessitate any need for cleanup work in any of the areas sampled.

The EPA will be doing more sampling during spring 2016, including soil sampling in areas near the Saint-Gobain McCaffrey Street facility, and sampling of soil, groundwater and storm drains at the McCaffrey Street facility.

The EPA is issuing periodic community updates to keep the public informed of its continuing efforts. Public inquiries can be directed to Larisa Romanowski at [email protected] or 518-407-0400.

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The Keep Your Promises campaign was developed in partnership with the Action Network Fund, a nonprofit organization that empowers citizens to stand up for their communities and their livelihoods in the face of corporate abuse.